By Tanya Gupta BBC News Online, South East

Imiela's last attack was 'a final act of defiance' jurors were told

Experts helped build a profile of the man who raped women and girls across the south east and in Birmingham.

After his first attack in Ashford, psychological profilers, geographical profilers and forensic scientists were called in to help hunt the rapist down.

High on the list was a man who probably lived locally and had local knowledge.

A gap in attacks

A mass DNA screening operation took place after the first attack on a 10-year-old girl in Ashford on 15 November 2001 - more than 3,500 men in the town were tested.

The court heard the move triggered a gap in the attacks and that Imiela did not rape again until 11 July 2002, fearing that he would be caught.

During the trial, Maidstone Crown Court was told that Imiela carefully chose areas he knew through his work and selected others near the M25 so he could make a quick getaway.

At one stage, because the attacks happened on weekdays, it was thought the man might even work in the south east, but travel home at the weekends.

One of Imiela's former work colleagues, Alex Lawrie, told the court he had given Imiela a lift from Kent for a time in 2002, when they were both based in the Woking area.

He said they used to drive along the same road that one of the victims cycled past before she was attacked.

The court was told that when the police net closed and Imiela was DNA tested he took a day off work in November 2002 to attack a 10-year-old in Birmingham in what was described during the trial as "a final act of defiance".

'Same hunting ground'

Mark Dennis, prosecuting, said the Birmingham attack also occurred in "familiar territory" close to a residential area but with open spaces nearby.

He said it was "exactly the same hunting ground".

Victims described a man with rough hands and very short hair, smelling of cigarettes and alcohol, aged between 30 and 50.

"A horrible smell, not clean," one woman said.

They said he had a strong North East Accent - Antoni Imiela was originally from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, where his family still live.

A 13-year-old victim who was snatched from her bike in Woking, Surrey, said she saw the man shortly before he pounced.

'Don't be rude'

She told the court he had a body like the character Phil Mitchell from EastEnders and a face like his brother Grant.

She said her attacker acted "like a schoolboy", telling her "don't be cheeky, don't be rude".

She questioned the rapist during her ordeal, asking him questions such as "Have you got a wife then?" - which he denied - and "Do you live here?", but was told not to be "so nosey".

Another victim asked Imiela why he was doing this - his reply was "I'm not getting any sex."